Drinking cup dispenser



Dec.`20, 1932. E. HUFF DRINKING CUP DISPENSER Filed March 5, 1951mvENToR 'BY 7 www, ,1f/Law ATTORNEY S however,

Y out Patented Dec. 20, 1932 'UNITED .STATES :PATENT oral-*ICE ERNESTHUFF, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONS COMJEANY, 0F MILWAUKEE,

IN, vnssIeNoR To. AMrmICAN LACE PAPERQ WISCONSIN, .A .coRroRATIoN .orWrscoNsm Application .led March 5,

VThis invention relates to improvements in ldrinking cup dispensers. 'Y

:It is theobjectofthe invention to provide Ya novel and simple form ofdispenser havling no movingparts and in which a stack of paper cups orlike `articles is sup-ported on A.fixed flanges so designed as *to*lprovide adequate support for thestaclz, to *permit the Vwithdrawal ofindividual cups from the bottom of the stack, and to `minimize theresistance to such withdrawal.

There have been numerous attempts to devise dispensers `for paper cupsand the like `in which fixed flanges would :take the place of movableescapement mechanisms. It has7 been characteristic of the fixed flangedevices-thatrthey have either beeninaccurate in permitting the escape ofimore than one'cuprat a time or elsehave afforded so much resistance as4to be very'diflicult of operation. VThe lpresentinvention 'seeks` toovercome lthese objections :by VKa design `in which Y the dispensingflanges are spaced apart for a distance less than the distance betweenthe marginal bead portionsof the Vcupsto be dispensed and are soarrangedwith referencegto thegenclosing barrel as to provide space intowhich the distorted'margnal bead portion of the cup may expand during'its successive clearance of the flange members `which oppose its,discharge.- Since clearance is providedfor but one cup bead at atimefthe device functions accurately in discharging individualV cups andsince the cup bead clearsthe projecting flanges successively instead ofsimultaneouslythe resistance to withdrawal is minimized.V Hence a-device embodying the present invention material fori retaining the.upper :portion cfm thestackjof'cupstobe dispensed. i"

1931. ASerin No. 520,201.

-Like characters throughout'the several lviews.

The v'dispensing` device comprises a sleeve .5 providedI at its rearwitha boss 6 havinga parts are identified `bythe reference dovetailedslot at 7 Vto engage a mountingffs plate V8. The intermediate portionlofthe slot 7 is deep enough to secure the heads of screws used-tosupnortthefmounting plate.

VThe mounting .plate has laterall notches, oney of whichis shown at 9,andvvhich are adapted ed to receive set screws `10 inserted tfromthesides of boss 6, as shown in dotted lines-in Figure 3. v

The sleeve 5 `is counter fbored to receiveM tube l1 which vissupportedon shoulder 12""6 with its interior surface flush. With1thefad- #Tube511 may glass orfother jacent interior wall 1 ofV tube 5. comprise theusual tubing of Below tube l1 'the `interior fsurface of disp pensingVsleeve '5 tapersvery slightly inwardly,:as'shown at 15, toward'ashoulder'1G-at whichthe transverse dimensionof the interior vbore through sleeve5 enlarged in a lateraldirection. The diameter `of the sleeve :portion1'5 immediately aboveshoulder 16 is made to 'correspond closely to thediameter=of the'beads rof'the,

l cups to'be dispensed, thus r'eceivingfthe staekti and permitting itfree yaxial movementwhile substantially eliminating possibility ofv'lateral movement of lthe lowermost cups.

At the front andrear of the interior lWallf is substantiallyc surfacesofthe sleeve 5 ijustbelow-shoulderugr '16 are'flanges 17 and 4 18 whichproject'centrally to materially restrict the internaldiameter of sleeve'from front to rear. These flanges have ybeveled upper surfaces andaref;- very slightly offset in a vertical direction-so that they Willnot simultaneously oppose their lmaximumresistance to a given cup whichisl being dispensed therefrom. The offset is preferably less than thedistance b etween'feiiV corresponding bead portions of consecutive cupsin the stack. Below the flanges 17 and 181I the internal'peripheryfofsleeve 5` again becomes" cylindrical .as shown atv20, its diameter"being thesame yas the transverse di-y 100 mension immediately belowshoulders 16 at the sides of the device.

When a stack of cups is in the dispenser, the marginal bead portions ofthe lowermost cup will rest simultaneously on both of the flanges 17 and18, the offset of flange 17 above flange 18 being insufficient to causeflange 17 to take the entire load. AWhen the operator grasps the lowerportion` of the lowermost cup to effect withdrawal thereof from thedispenser the resistance offered to the front and rear portions of thebead of the cup by flanges 17 and 18 causes distortion of the beadportionof the cup whereby its transverse diameter is increased ascompared with its diameter from front to'rear. The increase intransverse diameter is accommodated by the enlarged bore 20 belowshoulders 16. The shoulders 16 are so located with reference to theheight of flanges 17 and 18 as to be adapted to receive only the beadportion of the lowermost cup, thereby preventing more thanone cup frombeing dispensed; `In this connection it should be noted that the offsetof shoulder 18 below shoulder 17 is not essential to the operation ofthe device but does contribute materially to the smoothness of theoperation since, as above noted, the maximum resistance of the shoulders17 and 18 is consecutive instead of being concurrent.

When one side of the cup passes flange 17 it immediately springs out toits normal circular form, thus relieving the cup distortion at one side.The other' side of the cup is undergoing Van increasing distortion atA`the moment due to flange 18 but immediately afterward this part of thelcup alsoV is relieved and the cup passes freely from the dispenser.

I have found that the freedom of dispensing action can be controlledquite largely by the extent of flanges 17 and 18. If such flanges are ofless extent than they are illustrated in Figure 3, the dispenser tendsto function inaccurately. If the extent of the flanges is increased theyafford an unnecessarily great resistance to the dispensing operation.Preferably they should be slightly less than 90O in extent as shown.

VwWhile I have referred to` cup distortion herein, I wish to make itclear that such distortion as occurs is preferablyvery slight,

the dispenser size being accurately worked `out with reference toaccurately sized cups to be dispensed.

I claim:

1. A dispensing device comprising a sleeve having a stack receivingportion` a cup delivering portion of greater diameter than said stacl;receiving portion, circumferentially spacedmeans between said portionsadapted toengage thelmarginal bead portion of the lowermost cup of astack, said sleeve being recessed intermediate said cup engaging meansto receive bead portions of a single cup passing said means.

2. A dispensing device comprising a sleeve having a portion adapted toreceive a stack of cups having beaded margins and a plura.ity ofcircumferentially spaced means within said sleeve for engaging themargin of the lowermost cup of said stack, said means being axiallyspaced not to exceed the distance between corresponding marginalportions of two successive ycups in the stack, and diametrically spacedsufficiently less than the diameter of the beads of the cups toyslightly distort a cup as it passes said means.

3. A dispensing device comprising a sleeve having a portion adapted toreceive a stack of nested cups with beaded margins, the diameter of saidportion being at least as great as the diameter of the cups received;

therein, circumferentially spaced flanges projecting inwardly from theinner periphery of said sleeve for the releasable support of the beadportion of the lowermost cup of such a stack, the wall of said sleevein-L termediate said flanges being recessed to receive portions of saidcup slightly distorted by withdrawal between said flanges.

4. A dispensing device comprising having a portion adapted to receive ofnested cups with beaded margins, the diameter of said portion being atleast as great as the diameter of the cups received therein,circumferentially spaced flanges projecting inwardly from the innerperiphery o said sleeve for the releasable support of the beadportion ofthe lowermost cup of such a stack, the wall of said sleeve intermediatesaid flanges being recessed to receive portions of said cup slightlydistorted by withdrawal between said flanges, the axial extent of saidrecess above said flanges being insufficient to receive bead portions ofmore thank one cup. Y

5. A dispensing device comprising a sleeve having a portion adapted toreceive a stack of nested cups with beaded margins, the diameter of saidportion being at least as great as the diameter of the cups receivedtherein, circumferentially spaced flanges projecting, inwardly from theinner periphery of said sleeve for the releasable support of the beadportion of the lowermost cup of such a stack, the wall of said sleeveintermediate said flanges being recessed to receive portions of said cupslightly distorted by withdrawal between said flanges, the axial extentof said recess above said flanges being insufficient to receive beadportions of more than one cup, the recessed wall being carried out tothe end of said sleeve.

6. A dispensingdevice comprising a sleeve having a portion adapted toreceive a stack of nested cups with beaded margins, the diameter of saidportion being at least as a sleeve a stack,`

great as the dia-meter of the cups received therein, circumferentiallyspaced flanges projecting inwardly from the inner periphery of saidsleeve for the releasable support of the bead portion of the lowermostcup of such a stack, the Wall of said sleeve intermediate said flangesbeing recessed to receive portions of said cup slightly distorted byWithdrawal between said flanges, the axial extent of said recess abovesaid flanges being insufficient to receive bead portions of more thanone cup, said flanges being slightly offset axially whereby to opposesuccessively their maximum resistance to the passage of a cup whileacting simultaneously thereon.

7. In a cup dispensing device the combination With means providing achannel for cups to be dispensed7 of means restricting said channel atcircumferentially spaced points, said channel formin0V means beingrecessed intermediate said restricting means and shouldered at saidrecess at a level just sufficiently above said restricting means toreceive the distorted margin of a single unit toV be dispensed.

8. As a new article of manufacture a cup guide provided With cupobstructing means engageable with circumferentially spaced points of themargin of a cup traversing said guide, said guide being recessedintermediate said points and shouldered tolimit the number of cupmargins receivable in the recessed portion of the guide upon distortionby said obstructing means.

9. As a new article of manufacture a cup dispenser comprising a guidehavin(r a cup positioning portion, circumferentialy and axialy spacedmeans positioned to the path of marginal portions of' a cup below saidpositioning portion and recessed Wall portions intermediate said cupobstructing means limited as to their axial extent above the level ofsaid means whereby to beadapted to receive the margin of a single cupdistorted in passing said means.

ERNEST HUFF.

obstruct i

